Adapted from Christopher Isherwood’s 1964 novel, the film takes place in pre-AIDS Los Angeles, when homosexuals were still an invisible minority. True to the times, when his lover Jim (Matthew Goode) dies in a car accident, George is barred from the memorial, which is for “family only.” A gentle man, he grieves quietly, and, heartbroken and isolated, meticulously rehearses his suicide. Sidetracked by the unexpected attentions of a young student (Nicholas Hoult), and impromptu plans with his devil-may-care friend Charley (Julianne Moore), George begins to rethink his fate. Featuring intelligent, award-worthy performances, the film’s palpably beating heart is enhanced by poetic flashbacks, as well as by Ford’s lively and intuitive attention to light and color.